NAIROBI, Kenya - In a shocking weekend in East and Central Africa three separate attacks have claimed the lives of twenty people, 12 of them police officers.

The attacks took place on Saturday, one in Kenya, another in Somalia and the third in Cameroon.

In the first incident, an IED (improvised explosive device) detonated in Wajir County, Kenya, after being struck by a car. At least eight police officers were killed in that attack.

Ironically in an identical attack 12 months ago to the day, in the same Wajir County, an exact same number of police officers was killed. Pictured is a clip posted on Twitter by NTV Kenya on 17 June 2018, referring to the attack a day previous.

Dozens were injured in both attacks, responsibility for which was claimed by the armed group Al-Shabaab, which is particularly active in Eastern Africa.

Meanwhile In an unrelated attack in Central Africa, in Cameroon, separatists detonated an improvised explosive device that killed four police and wounded 6.

"The government condemns in the strongest terms this criminal act, perpetrated by armed bandits and terrorists with no faith or law," a statement said, which explained the attack occurred along a road near the district of Eyumojock in the south west of the country late on Saturday.

The UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, on Sunday condemned all three attacks.